No seriousness in mediation talks chapter four
Posted by African Press International on April 25, 2008
Publisher: Korir, api africanpress@getmail.no source.nation.ke
The root course of the problems in Kenya is wealth that is not distributed among all the people. A few people have everything and that was why the post-election turmoil was expected. The rich in Kenya have a lot to loose if they allow the success of the talks covering agenda 4 because most of them have acquired wealth illegally and they fear they may be asked to dispose off properties that they got through the back door. The success of agenda 4 will benefit the poor in the country. It is necessary to look into the problems of injustice and unequality in the country. Otherwise, Kenya has not seen the last of chaos come the next general election. API
Mediated talks stall as teams fail to show up
Story by DAVE OPIYO
For the second time in a week, talks aimed at looking into short- and long-term causes of last years election violence failed to take place.
The mediated talks have suffered many interruptions since the power-sharing agreement was signed.
On Thursday, it emerged that some members of the National Dialogue and Reconciliation team had accompanied President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga on the peace tour of the Rift Valley.
The talks had been adjourned on Tuesday to allow the negotiators all Cabinet ministers to attend a meeting with Rift Valley MPs to prepare for resettlement of poll violence victims currently living in camps. The Head of State chaired the meeting.
Talks spokesman Jens Laerke said the meeting had been postponed indefinitely.
By Thursday morning, we had no confirmation from the parties involved that they would attend the meeting, he said.
PNU is represented by ministers Martha Karua, Sam Ongeri, Moses Wetangula and Mutula Kilonzo, while ODM has William Ruto, Musalia Mudavadi, Sally Kosgei and James Orengo.
Several reasons have been given for the suspension of the talks, raising fears that the negotiators might have lost focus on cracking Agenda Four.
The talks were first suspended in February by chief mediator Kofi Annan when the teams failed to agree on a power-sharing deal. He decided to engage the President and Prime Minister directly in an effort to end the stalemate.
Deadlock
Other reasons posed for suspending talks include the negotiators breaking off for Easter, and the deadlock over naming of the Cabinet.
The talks were also suspended when the co-chair, the Nigerian diplomat Prof Oluyemi Adeniji, travelled to Ethiopia to brief the African Union on the progress of the talks.
Before the talks were adjourned this week, the negotiators were expected to unveil the names of the two international experts, who will assist Court Of Appeal judge Philip Waki to run the mini-commission on post-election violence.
They were also expected to discuss the draft agreement to seal loopholes that may threaten the unity of the grand coalition Government.
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African Press International – api
